The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-11-16

mus. DO wiped out. II the farmers will
take hold and erase tho entire LIQUOR law
the rum sellers will put their shoulders 10
the wheel. But II the farmers are not
willing 70 20 90 far and demand only the
repeal o. the cider clause, then the anti.
Prohibition clement will oppose In full
iorce. The liquor men demand q clean
sweep Or nothing. |fu y
This u.s. the position the farmers find
themselves In. Thoughtlessly they have
allowed an Injurious law 10 be passed, and
since It has been enforced they have
awaEoned to their unpleasant position.
The law. that they have helped to enact Ia
the climax OF the ambition OF tho old.
time PIohibitlonists. Without the assist.
ance Of tho rum element the Grsngsra
cannot repeal tho law. But X they unite
with the liquor dealers, they will have to
pledge their word and support to remove
the other restrictionH on the forbidden
traffic. VA majority OF the farmers arc
temperance men, and tho prospect OF
combining with the rum element Ia not
pleasing. It is q matter Of great personal
lops or sacrifice OF principle, and most Of
INC farmers have decided that II Ia wiser
70 throw over prohibition than 1t Is to lot
their valuable orchards go to ruin. The
liquor dealers. are delighted at the etste
OF a1alrg and are employing every
mteann to bring about au alliance with the
farmers. II the election Of representa-.
t!yeu to the Legislature wea to DO made
this iall, inotoad Of next year, there ia
little doubt that a combination would be
made that would suspend the famous
Maine law, and which might ultlmatelv
result In its final repeal. The LIQUOR men
nave sent agents out among tho farmers
and have been In consultation with them
and they claim that tho next Lepislature
Will repleal the liquor law and That ths
Prohibitionlsts will beN laid upon their
Dacks. Tho unexpected turn OF affaira
has greatly alarmed the temperance men
ana they sre watching With anxiety the
progress q atairs. a lsTxe number think
tuat nca. DOW cvarreschcd himscli when
he introduced the cider Law, but the most
progressive ant!.!'Quor men claim that II
would be q fatal mistake to take a step
backward and repeal the law. Whatever
the result may be the liquor dealers now
nave q 1917 prospect Of seeing the famous
Maine law" Il thing Of tho past, aud no
eltorta will be spared to make an alliance
with the .isrmoys.
a euIioua iey!ule Of tho present stste Of
auairs 10 tho sc.iye poraonal work CIV.
bodwell has done recently to enforce the
law. He has issued proclamatioos to the
various County Attorneys and Sharifa
calling upon them to do their duty. To
many Of these mandates Gov. BodwelI
hs: received replies to tho effect that he
had better attend to his W executiyedn.
yes, anu mott bothor officials owe. whom
ne has no Jurisdiction. THO chiof prose-.
cutlng officers are slectod in every county
5y the vote of the people in that county.
The result Of thia ia that in countieo whore
there are largo cities like Portland and
Bangor, the Sheriff and County Attorney
are always nominated and 4 c.ed BY tho
Liquor, dealerc. Being the choice Of the
rum element they, OF coures, nova inter.
iere with tho s~aioong, and although the
law is etrong enough, by lack Of oniorce.
ment 1t amounts to local option. To rem.
edy this evident svil, Neal Dow arranged
for the appointment Of special liquor CON.
But as ali complaints mus, bs
prosecuted by the County Attornsy, the
reeult Is tina. in the biz citiss the
grand Jury Eerer end many In.
dictnento, and what few are re.
turned are Usually pigoor.holed. Neal
Dow has net yet been able to corcoc, a
law that will reach these ceses, and as a
result rum is as free in Portland and q
dczsn other cities &c 1t 10 lie Boston or
New York. The hotels all run a bar. the
drug stoIesi rcstanrRItg and sat;rp.houses
are liquor oaloons, besides the regular
number Of places which do not pso,end TO
sell anything hut liquor. As an illus.ra.
tion OF how tho law Ia enforced in the
rural districts and neglected in the popu.
districts the returns Of tho laas grand
Jury for kennebec county sbo. liz in.
%dictrpeats Tor liq uor selling, willis tho
grand jury in Cumberland COUNTY found
only four. Kenurbec county hss only
$4,000 population, Will. ems city alone in
Cumberland county pays one.seyenth Of
the whole State tax, and is issaoli noarly es
largaln population as all Kennebec coun.
". Tho prosecutions in this last county
are 80 vigorously pushed that Judge An.
dreEs, Of the Augusta Police court, said
to the World reporter:
"ln order to be respectable I think I
will have to 60 to jail myself, because
now that they are pushing the law against
than oIt."H